When you turn on the faucet to do a load of dishes or you’re waiting on the shower to heat up, those minutes may feel like they drag on forever. Not only does it seem like a big waste of time, it can be a monumental waste of water.
If you’d like to see lower water bills and have a better experience with your hot water taps, you need to first identify the problem that’s causing the delay. Here are the common culprits behind a slow hot water supply, as well as possible solutions.
1. Poorly Insulated Pipes
One factor that can definitely affect your hot water delivery time is the lack of proper insulation around your hot water pipes. This is particularly common in older homes. The heat loss as water travels through the pipes can be quite significant.
If you notice that you have more trouble getting hot water to your faucets in the winter, this may be the problem. If so, the solution is simply to wrap all your exposed hot water pipes with insulation.
2. Wrong Tank Size
If you have a traditional hot water tank that heats up water in storage, you may simply be overloading the system. The size of your tank plays a big role in how much hot water you have available at any one time. If your family is large and the tank is too small, simultaneous hot water demands can drain the supply and exacerbate your wait.
If the tank is too large, however, one long shower could potentially deplete the reserve in the tank and set the next person who wants a shower up for a very long wait while the tank heats up a new reserve.
The solution to this situation is to have your tank evaluated by an experienced plumber who can recommend a better size for your needs and swap out the tanks. Alternatively, you may want to consider a tankless water heater, which eliminates the water storage issue and provides on-demand hot water.
3. Sediment Buildup
If you used to have good hot water flow without the wait and things have recently changed, that points to a problem with your water heater itself. Sediment from minerals in the water, like calcium, can accumulate in your tank over time and block the heating element from reaching the water as easily.
Sometimes draining the tank to clean it is all that’s needed to fix this issue and get your hot water back on track, but if the tank is nearing the end of its useful lifespan, it may be time to simply replace it.
4. Distance
Finally, another common culprit for the hot-water blues is simply the distance between your hot water tank and whatever tap you’re using. If the hot water seems to flow quickly to some of your taps and not others, a too-far tap may be to blame.
If your hot water heater – whether it’s a traditional tank-style model or an on-demand tankless style—is in the basement on the far side of the house, for example, the hot water may have a hard time reaching the shower in your master bath a couple of floors away.
Fortunately, this problem also has a solution. You can have your home evaluated by a professional to see if upgrading to two tankless water heaters could be an option. Strategic placement of the second tank could eliminate your problem while also increasing the amount of hot water your household can use at any one time. This can be an ideal solution for larger homes.
At Triangle Plumbing Service, we understand that your comfort can be greatly affected by problems like these, and we offer solutions. Contact us today to schedule a professional evaluation of your hot water problem.
